THE SECRET LIFE OF GROCERIES

The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket
by Benjamin Lorr

I initially bought this book for my son-in-law because grocery stores are in his realm of professional expertise. I am so glad that I asked to borrow it back from him after he had read it. I found Lorr’s non-fiction examination of the American supermarket fascinating on many levels.

I expected the book would be an overall expose of supermarkets. But, much to my surprise and enjoyment, Lorr devotes each of the six parts in the book to one different aspect of supermarkets. He starts off with an interesting discussion of how Trader Joe’s forever changed the way supermarkets function. From there, he examines distribution systems – specifically truckers and the trucking industry in the United States. I had no idea how the trucking system operates and how stacked the deck is against truckers. Since finishing the book, I have not passed a single truck on the highway without thinking about Lorr’s eye-opening analysis.

Other sections include: how difficult it is to break into the snack market in supermarkets; Whole Foods’ original approach to supermarkets; and, the role consumers play in the market’s dynamic. But it was Lorr’s discussion of the fishing industry and supermarkets’ effects on that industry worldwide, that I found to be as fascinating and disturbing as the one on trucking. I highly recommend The Secret Life of Groceries. It’ll leave you thinking about your groceries in a very different way. (Liz)